"Why, Billy, I don't want to win your pony and money." "And I don't want you to; but I'll shoot with you for your horse against mine and all else I have offered." The sergeant was a grasping man, and confident of his powers, at last assented, and the match was to take place at once. But the officers learning of it were determined Billy should have fair play, and a day was set a week off, and the boy was told to practice regularly with both pistol and rifle, for the terms were ten off-hand shots with the latter at fifty and one hundred yards, and six shots standing with the revolver at fifteen paces and six from horseback, and riding at full speed by the target. Billy at once set to work to practice, though he had confidence in his unerring aim, and upon the day of trial came to the fort with a smiling face. Nearly everybody in the fort went out to see the match, and the sergeant was called first to toe the mark. He raised his rifle and his five shots at fifty yards were quickly fired. Billy gave a low whistle, but toed the scratch promptly, and his five shots were truer than the sergeant's, and a wild cheer broke from one and all. At one hundred yards the sergeant's shooting was better than the boy's; and so it was with the pistol shooting, for when standing the sergeant's shots were best, and in riding full speed by the target, Billy's were the truest, and it was called a tie. "How shall we shoot it off, Billy?" asked the sergeant, who seemed somewhat nervous. Billy made no reply, but went to his haversack and took from it an apple, and going up to his pony placed him in position, the rein over the horn of the saddle. The apple he then put on the head of the pony, directly between his ears, and stepping back while all present closely watched him, he threw forward his pistol and fired. The apple flew into fragments and a wild burst of applause came from all sides, while Billy said quietly: "I've got another apple, sergeant, for you to try the same on Little Grey." "I'll not run the risk, Billy, of killing him, so give in; but I'll win him back from you sometime," said the sergeant. "Any time, sergeant, I'm willing to shoot," replied the boy, and with a happy heart he mounted his prize and set off for home. CHAPTER V. WILD HORSE HUNTING. For several days after Billy Cody got his prize he did nothing but train the animal to his use and was delighted to find that Little Grey would follow him like a dog wherever he went. Having all arranged now for his wild horse hunting, he set out one day from home to be gone a week or more, he told his mother, and with the promise that he would bring her a small fortune soon. He had already discovered the feeding grounds of the herd, and thither he went at once, arriving in the vicinity shortly before dark.